|
Re: Wekusta 51 at Vannes, 2-6 June 1944
RAF did intercept GAF weather data. At the moment I cannot give source, sorry.
I think came across this reference in book on Ultra and/or Enigma.
But also, USAAF did North Atlantic Weather Recce using B-25īs and B-17īs on very long flights. B-25īs did the short runs between Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Stornoway, but B-17īs staged further, but little date on these flight paths is available.
He 111s on weather recce did about 300 km/h, Ju 88īs were about 50% faster, but ascents slowed things; Weather flights from Norway, West, then most ascent was made on the return leg, thus shorten homeward flight by using prevailing westerlies.
Typical westher flight (shown in book below) included "start cruise" at about 1800 m, decent to se level and climb to "mid-way" crusie at 2000 m, again decent to sea level (to get precicse pressure again, I guess) then ascent to 2500 m, then home ward turn and climb to 6000 m (450mb -38 C) then decent to 3000 m and (free) home cruise. A smart flight profile.
Source: Schwerdfeger/Selinger "Wetterflieger in der Arktis 1940-1944"
-Ed
|